Blood and Fire
by Phoenixinkd
Summary: Berit and Talen come across a strange girl on their return to the Chapterhouse, what does she have to do with the return of Bhelliom and why does Aphrael hate her so much?


**AN: I do not own any of David Eddings characters or literary inventions, If I did I would live in a much bigger house...**

Berit and Talen rode at a leisurely pace, having just passed through Lenda an hour or so beforehand. The slightly rolling meadows had given way to the odd sparse clump of trees and Berit was the first to notice the scuffle going on ahead and to the right of the road. Before him and Talen were about to step in, the figure in the centre of it all made five or six sudden movements with their hands and the three other figures dropped like stones. The central figure straightened from the half crouch it was in and Talen gave a low whistle.

"That is a woman, I don't think I have even seen Mirtai do something like that."

The girl shook out her long blonde hair and tossed it over her shoulder before calmly stepping over the bodies on the ground, making her way toward the two still stunned knights in their chain mail and white surcoats. As she moved the two young men couldn't help but notice the snug fit of the sleeveless vest paired with tight blue pants and the sway of her hips with each step of the heeled boots she wore.

"Excuse me, but can you tell me where I am, I seem to have lost my way?"

Talen noticed Berit's slightly glazed expression and nudged his mount forward, knocking his fellow knight subtly as he passed.

"My name is Sir Talen and this is Sir Berit, you are currently about ten leagues from Cimmura."

"Did you just say Cimmura?"

"Yes, we are on our way there if you require an escort."

She hesitated slightly, a worried look upon her face as she stared at the ground for a few seconds

"Talen and Berit? I guess I don't really have much choice." She muttered to herself

"Sorry? I couldn't quite hear you." Talen said

"Nevermind, It wasn't important. I would appreciate the escort however, my clothing has already caused unwanted attention. My name is Jodianna by the way"

"Well Jodianna since Berit's horse is both younger and larger than my own you will have to ride with him." Berit blinked once then fought to control the slight pink flush he could feel coming to his cheeks while Talen grinned cheekily at him.

Berit still had not said a word but reached his hand down to help the girl up in front of himself on the horse, he noticed she had almost no need of his hand as she put her foot in one stirrup to mount the animal, sliding in front of him with ease.

"Shall we?" Talen chirped, nudging his own horse to move slowly back onto the road.

"I know another person just like you Talen."

"Oh?"

"Yes, and he is a sneaky little thief too, can I have my knife back please?"

The look of surprise upon his face was priceless and Berit burst out laughing as Jodi held out her hand to Talen who had somehow gotten a small wire bound knife from where it had been in her boot despite not having gotten off his horse.

As they rode along Jodi thought to herself _"What have I gotten myself into, Cimmura is a place from a fantasy novel, not a real city. Good thing I can look after myself."_ This was followed by an internal curse as she spotted a bush up ahead moving against the slight breeze blowing South. An archer leapt up, took aim and fired straight toward them as Talen spurred his palomino toward him, trampling him straight into the loamy earth before lopping off his head in one smooth sweep of his sword. Jodi gritted her teeth at the burning pain in her arm where the arrow had embedded itself and placed her hand hard upon it to slow the blood dripping darkly from the wound.

"Do you have any clean bandages or something I could tie around this?" Jodi grated out from between her teeth.

Berit reached into the saddlebag behind him and pulled out a roughly rolled up strip of linen which he wrapped tightly around the girls upper arm after carefully removing the arrow.

"Are you alright to keep on to Cimmura?" Berit asked

"Yes, I would rather get to Cimmura as soon as possible."

"If you are sure." Berit prodded again

"Yes Berit, I would like to get as far as we can before I lose too much blood if you don't mind."

"Of course." Berit replied, turning his mount onto the road once more. The Pandions took off towards Cimmura, pushing their mounts as hard as they could over the rough parts of the highway. As the gates of the Pandion chapterhouse came into view Berit felt Jodi's weight shift onto his left arm and he pulled her back against his chest to try and keep her upright, her weight slumped forward again onto the neck of his mount and he slowed the horse, using one hand to control his mount and the other to stop the girl from slipping off.

The knights at the gate gave Berit and Talen a startled glance as they took in the bloody bandage on the unconscious girls arm and her strange clothing, they were admitted without a word.

A stretcher was brought out and the girl taken from Berit's arms and laid upon it, she was taken inside quickly followed by their newest Styric instructor Perelath who knew a lot about proper healing and wound care

"Berit! Sparhawk wants to see you and Talen in his study right away."

Berit simply nodded at Sir Andalium and left his horse with a novice, heading up the narrow staircase to what was now Sparhawks study. He approached the door and was let in immediately by the young novices standing guard.

"Berit, what's this about a strange wounded girl?"

"We offered to escort her to Cimmura because she was by herself, not long after we stared on our way she was shot by an archer but Sparhawk, I don't think she is from here."

"What makes you say that Berit?" He asked sharply, examining the young man's face.

"Her clothes are nothing like I have ever seen before, the colours, the fabric and the way she speaks and acts are nothing like anywhere in the world."

"Where do you think she is from then?" Sparhawk asked Berit, a questioning expression on his face.

"I don't know but I think another world, after all Bhelliom was able to call on creatures from another world who's to say there isn't another spirit like that."

" I think I need to call Aphrael about this."

"Good idea, If she is from another world how do we know our medicines will even work for her, they might kill her."

At that moment Perelath walked in, a slightly dazed look upon his face, Sparhawk opened his mouth to ask what was wrong but closed it again as a tall blonde haired beauty strode into the room wearing what looked like a man's shirt, a thick black belt around her waist and a pair of dark blue skin tight pants.

The two novices outside the door were quite literally hanging on the door frame, mouths slightly open as the golden haired girl breezed by, shutting the heavy door in their faces.

"Perelath, you must be some kind of miracle worker, I saw how bad that arrow wound was with my own eyes." Berit exclaimed.

"Actually Sir Berit, I did very little. Lady Jodianna here cleaned it and stitched it up as neat as you please with her own hair."

"I apologise for taking over but I have some knowledge of medicine and know that most fatalities occur because of infection so I used the best things I could to prevent that from happening, I also had no wish to be poisoned by something I have not come in contact with before."

Sparhawk had a strange look upon his face as he looked from Berit to Jodianna but he shook his head, making a mental note to speak to his daughter alone very soon.

"So, Lady Jodianna wasn't it, I am Sparhawk the Preceptor of the Pandion did you get here If you don't mind my asking."

"I would love to have the answer to that question myself actually, I have no idea how I got here only that I am here."

"Then you would forgive me for consulting a higher power for guidance."

"Of course Sir Sparhawk, I would think less of you were you not doing so, I understand a need for caution, my appearance has caused enough of a stir already which is why Perelath gave me the shirt and the belt in the first place. Thankyou for that by the way."

Perelath gave a short half bow and then left the room, the door snapping closed behind himself after he left.

Sparhawk muttered something and made an odd twisting movement with his hands and Jodi twitched violently to one side as a tiny olive skinned little girl appeared next to her muttering some choice oaths under her breath. The little girl walked across the room and sat herself in Sparhawk's lap, turning her face up for kisses while still appearing very distracted and grumpy.

Jodi turned to Berit and said very quietly

"Should a child know words like that?" Berit chuckled but stopped when he received a very irritated glare from the little girl.

"I can hear you you know and besides it is your fault things are so mixed up anyway, you shouldn't be here."

"Listen here little girl, I have no idea how I ended up here on your world to start with so dont go taking it out on me and besides you don't know me at all and have no right to speak to anyone that way, were you never taught any manners at all?" Sparhawk was quite clearly trying not to laugh at the standoff and couldn't stop his grin from breaking through when Flute rounded on him shaking her finger in his face.

"Don't you laugh father, she is from another world, I have been running all over to find out how she got here but have had no luck so far." She rounded upon Jodianna again "Shouldn't you be somewhat more enlightened yourself, after all you are Sahreena Jodianna Merabeth aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. I don't see what that has to do with my manners however, my own goddess is somewhat similar in temperament to yourself and we always spar like this." Jodianna had a mischevious grin upon her face now and was quite clearly enjoying herself.

"I find it hard to believe she accepts such a lack of respect." This wiped the grin off Jodianna's face and she straightened instantly, easily matching Berit for height

"I would never speak of her with anything less than the utmost respect and honour, she made me what I am, not my father and his lapdog as you should well know." She took a deep breath and relaxed somewhat before continuing " I don't want to cause any more of a stir than I already have, Is there a way I can assimilate without being questioned, I assume your knights can keep their mouths shut." The last comment was directed at Sparhawk who simply nodded. "Berit, take Jodianna to one of the guest chambers, I will have someone bring up clothing which will not attract so much attention."

"Of course Sir Sparhawk" Berit inclined his head before opening the door and motioning Jodianna through to the narrow staircase.

"So Berit, what can you tell me about your world, what kind of authority is in power, how do things work?"

"For a start this is the Pandion chapterhouse, we are one of four orders of knights created to defend the church against heretics."

"What are the names of the other three orders and how can you tell the difference between them?"

"Us Pandions wear black armour with silver surcoats, the Cynric knights have silver armour with a white surcoat, Genidians don't wear full armour, only chain mail and usually have Ogre horns on their helmets then the Alcione knights wear Deiran armour which is the heaviest and a pale blue surcoat."

"Why do the Genidians not wear full plate armour?"

"Ulath says you cant take full armour off under water, there are a lot of rivers in Thelasia."

"That makes sense, that's why Amazons don't weigh themselves down, we tend to spend a lot of time in the trees."

"What exactly are Amazons?" Berit asked after pausing for a moment to try and absorb the implications of her statement.

"We are warriors, experts in armed and unarmed combat as well as the arcane arts, there are four main areas of expertise but I have learned all I can in all of them, I have the misfortune however to be a part of the rest of our worlds politics so I have had to learn all the courtly ways to keep my father happy, I much prefer picking off highwaymen in the ice mountains."

Berit closed his mouth and kept on to the guest area of the chapterhouse, showing Jodi the door.

"There should be someone here soon with some different clothes for you." He said, uncomfortably aware of the knife hilt now just visible on her left hip.

"Thankyou Berit, I will be fine."

As she said this the quiet Alean appeared at the end of the corridor, followed by Kalten who was carrying a wooden box on one shoulder.

"In here please Kalten, we may be a little while so I will come to Sparhawks office when we are done here, I know you want to go and speak with him."

"You know where to find me then." Kalten seemed a little on edge leaving his little wife with Jodianna as he too seemed to have spotted the dagger hilt and wary stance of a trained fighter.

"I am not going to attack your little lady here, that would not help me in the slightest." Jodi cocked an eyebrow at the blonde Pandion before turning to the doorway behind her and stepping through, closing it with a dull thud.

"Care to tell me what that was all about Berit?" Kalten still wore a worried expression on his face as their voices faded down the corridor.

After closing the door behind herself Jodi sat on the skinny cot on one side of the room so she was not towering over the much shorter woman.

"My name is Jodianna." She introduced herself quietly, trying not to appear in any way threatening to the gentle maid.

"I am Alean, one of Queen Ehlana's ladies in waiting, Sparhawk asked that she send down someone she could trust and I see why, I am guessing you are not from here."

"Definately not, I come from a long way away but for me to blend in I need to wear something more appropriate."

"I am glad I brought a few dresses then, we will see what we can do with the ones I have here, I am not certain they will be long enough but I will do my best."


End file.
